


A Time for Rest

by honeybee_pioneer



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Hurt/Comfort, I guess???, Shiro (Voltron)-centric, Sleepovers with Space Dad, Space Dad Shiro, Team as Family, sleeping issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-20 06:36:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9479627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeybee_pioneer/pseuds/honeybee_pioneer
Summary: Shiro got the least amount of sleep of anyone on the castle ship. However, this isn't always because of his own nightmares.(Or, Shiro is always ready for a knock on his door in the middle of the night.)





	1. Pidge

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ElliotOrion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElliotOrion/gifts).



Shiro was awake far later than he should've been, but he didn't really mind. He hadn't slept well since escaping the Galra, plagued by nightmares and flashbacks even while asleep. That night seemed to be one of those nights, whilst a storm raged on outside of the castle ship. It was like a thunderstorm, but with less rain and more rattling from the rocks bouncing off of the castle ship's barrier.

He was sitting on his bed, a book on Altean language in his hands with a lamp providing a gentle light in the room. He had been reading for a while when another loud rumble could be heard. As the sound faded away, there was a knock on his door. 

"Come in," he called, placing the book on the shelf and looking to see who was there. 

The door slid open, and Pidge appeared, eyes wide and red. He immediately stood and went to them, bringing them inside. "Pidge, what's wrong?" 

Pidge shuddered as another round of thunder boomed. "The storm is keeping me awake. I can't sleep, but I'm too tired to try and do anything productive."

Shiro gave a small, sympathetic smile. "I know the feeling. Here, let's-"

He was cut off by a crash from outside, and Pidge gave a small yelp. They buried their face into Shiro's chest, fingers clinging to his shirt. Shiro was frozen for a moment, a memory from what felt like long before returning to him. 

_It was dark out, Matt by his side as Sam slept. There was an asteroid storm outside, clanking against the metal of the ship._

_"It's always amazed me how Dad can sleep through stuff like this." Matt mused. "Back home, storms always kept me and Katie awake."_

_Shiro smiled. "Must be from all the practice of sleeping through crying babies."_

_Matt shoved him lightly with a laugh. "Jerk," he said before looking outside, "But you're not wrong. Katie was always afraid of thunder, so she'd always come to me. I guess she felt less guilty waking me up rather than Mom and Dad."_

Shiro looked down at Pidge. Sometimes, it was hard to remember just how young they were. How young everyone was. 

"Pidge, is the thunder scaring you?" He asked them softly. 

Pidge could only nod. 

Shiro gently picked the teenager up, covering them with his sheets. He laid on top of the sheets, creating a sort of barrier. "It's okay. You can stay here for tonight." 

Pidge sniffled and nodded, burrowing under the sheets. "Thanks, Shiro..." 

Shiro smiled softly. "No problem. Get some sleep, kiddo." 

Pidge fell asleep soon, and Shiro not long after. The next morning, the storm had passed, and he woke to a made bed and note on his door. 

_"Thanks, Space Dad. - Pidge :)"_


	2. Keith

Shiro wasn't unused to wandering around the castle ship late at night. It helped to clear his head, to remind him that he was free and out of the Galra's grasp. 

He also wasn't unused to hearing activity in the training room around three a.m. space time. 

Shiro had known Keith for years. He knew that Keith's dad passed away when he was nine years old. He knew that Keith liked classic country music, but hated anything post-early twenty-first century. He knew that Keith was actually a very affectionate person, but always hesitated because of years of bad foster families and rough treatment. 

And recently, everyone knew Keith was at least half Galra. 

Shiro hadn't been all that surprised. He had guessed it after Keith's battle with Zarkon, and had already told himself that Keith was still Keith. Everyone seemed to be taking the news fairly, but Allura was the one struggling the most. It was understandable, but Shiro could see how Keith was struggling as well. 

Shiro stepped into the training room, watching Keith get absolutely  _pummeled_ by the training bot. The Red Paladin was obviously starting to succumb to his exhaustion, breathing heavily as he pushed himself up off the floor. The next time he fell, Shiro decided to make his presence known. 

"End training sequence." He called, and the bot disappeared.

Keith looked over as he continued to lay on the floor, catching his breath. "Hey..." 

"Hey, yourself." Shiro sat on the floor next to Keith. "What are you doing up so late?"

Keith shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. You?" 

Shiro smirked. "Same here. Though, I think there are healthier ways to try to get to sleep rather than trying to let a training bot knock you out."

Keith punched Shiro's knee weakly. "I was actually doing fine until you came in." 

Shiro rolled his eyes. "Sure. Blame it on me." 

The two stayed in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Keith sighed and sat up, looking at the floor. "Shiro?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you... Do you think I'll go bad?"

Shiro frowned. "I'd like to think you won't. Why? Are you alright?" 

Keith rushed to answer. "Yeah, I haven't felt like I was losing control or anything. I'm just being stupid..."

"No such thing as a stupid question." Shiro said softly, looking at Keith. 

Keith shrugged. "I know, I know... It's just... Everyone keeps looking at me like I'm going to rip their head off at any second."

"Keith-"

"I'm not mad about it. I get it. The Galra have done terrible things, taken so many lives..." Keith looked away, "But what if not all of them are bad? What if there are others that aren't a part of the Blade of Marmora, that want to see Zarkon gone too. I just-" Keith sounded choked up. "I'm scared, Takashi." 

Shiro's eyes widened by a fraction. Takashi was saved for fear. Takashi was saved for feelings that were too overwhelming. "Keith, I'm sure that there are plenty of people that want Zarkon gone just as much as we do."

Keith looked at him. "Do you think my mom was good?"

Shiro laid a hand on Keith's shoulder. "Your mother was a Galra. She found her way to Earth, to your father. She had you, and I'm sure she didn't want to leave you. If she found her way there, and Earth was still there when she left, I'm sure she only had good intentions. Wherever she is, I'm sure she would be proud of you." 

Keith nodded after a moment. "Okay," he said softly. "Okay." 

Shiro patted his back. "C'mon. It's time to get some sleep, unless you want a training bot  _and_ me to kick your butt tomorrow." 

Keith smiled. "Like I'd let that happen, jerk." 

They bantered all the way back to their rooms, and before they parted, Keith laid a hand on Shiro's shoulder. "Thank you, Shiro." 

Shiro nodded. "Anytime, Keith. Let me know if there is anything I can do." 

(For the record, Shiro won six rounds out of eleven. Keith made him swear not to tell Lance.)

 


	3. Lance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Lance is the hardest character for me to write, even though I love him so much ;-; Sorry if he doesn't sound quite right!

Night was often the hardest point of the day for Shiro. Things could get too quiet, and he could fall into negative trails of thought. Memories from his time as a prisoner, memories of the torture he faced, and worst of all, memories of home. 

Memories of home were good, but they were also terrible. They made him miss the quiet fall of rain, the sound of his mother's voice scolding him when he forgot to call, the sound of his father's laughter, the cool breeze of fall afternoons. They made him miss Earth, and the simplicity of life he used to hate. 

However, he knew he wasn't alone. 

Often the Paladins would talk about what Earth was like, remembering traditions and events that they were probably missing. They would talk about what the weather was probably like, and how strange it was that Earth seemed to be the only planet that ran on an odd timing system. 

Shiro was laying awake in bed when he heard light footsteps outside in the hallway. He went to the door and saw Lance walking away from his bedroom, towards the large window at the end of the hall. The eldest Paladin followed him, standing by his side. 

"It's April back home." Lance said quietly, before Shiro could even say hello. 

Shiro hummed. "April showers..." he murmured, looking out at the stars as they passed.

Lance leaned against the wall, his blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders. "We've been gone for ten months." he spoke softly. "I've missed a lot back home..." 

Shiro nodded. "You come from a big family, right?" 

Lance smiled softly. "Yeah. I'm number four out of seven. Mama is second out of five, and Dad is the first of eight. Lots of family to go around, never a set of hands not being put to good use." His smile slowly turned into a frown. "Still, ten months. All the holidays, lots of birthdays, weddings, babies..."

The Blue Paladin shook slightly. "I've missed Carina's quinceanera. She was so excited for me to see her dress. David's baby is a few months old by now... I'm an uncle..." 

Lance wiped furiously at his eyes. "Sorry, Shiro. I'm just going to go back to bed..." 

Shiro stopped him, pulling him in for a hug. "It's okay to be upset, Lance."

Lance was still before his resolve broke. Tears started to fall, and he clung to Shiro. "I miss home," He whispered in between gasping breaths. 

Shiro patted his back. "I know, Lance, I know..." 

After letting Lance cry on his shoulder for a little while longer, Shiro started to guide him back to his room. He had Lance get into his bed, tucking him in before grabbing the chair at his desk, his book, and a blanket. Shiro turned the lamp to a dim light and began to read, staying by Lance's side. 

Lance was quiet for a while before speaking. "Shiro, you're a really good guy."

Shiro smiled. "Thank you, Lance. Now, get some sleep." 

In the morning, Lance woke Shiro up before he left, thanking him again for the night before. When Shiro got to the table for breakfast, Lance was grinning as he antagonized Keith, back to his cheery self. Shiro took a sip of his coffee substitute and his his smile behind his cup. 


	4. Hunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunk knits, okay?

Sometimes, when he couldn't sleep, Shiro would go to the kitchen and get something to drink. On one of the planets they had recently liberated from Galra control, they had found a substitute for coffee. While it didn't exactly help with sleeping, it was still calming and familiar. He would quietly make his way over to Pidge's home-made coffee brewer and sit at the counter until he felt like retreating back into his room. 

He was leaning against the counter as the pot filled up when the door opened. Hunk walked in, rubbing tired eyes.

He blinked when he saw Shiro. "Oh. Hey, Shiro."

"Hey, what are you doing up so late?" Shiro responded, filling his cup as the brewer finished. 

Hunk shrugged. "I just can't sleep. I've got too much going on inside of my head."

Shiro nodded. "I understand the feeling." he motioned to the pot. "Do you want some?" 

"Nah," Hunk shook his head. "I've never really liked coffee that much. I'm more of a tea person." 

Shiro motioned for Hunk to sit next to him. "Do you want to talk about what's on your mind?" 

The Yellow Paladin hesitated. "... I'm just having a little bit of a hard time. It happens occasionally. I promise, I won't let it interfere with Voltron stuff." 

Shiro frowned. "I'm not worried about Voltron. I'm worried about  _you_." 

Hunk was quiet. "Can we go talk in my room? I don't want to do it here." 

Shiro nodded. "Of course." 

The two walked to Hunk's bedroom, the door opening and Hunk grabbing a box from under his bed. He pulled out a pair of what looked similar to knitting needles and yarn, working as he began to talk. 

"I've had anxiety since I was little. It used to be really bad. I had my first panic attack when I was five, when I first started school. I was  _convinced_ my mom would never come back to get me. I got medication when I was older, because it got so bad that I couldn't go to school without having a panic attack. 'Take one daily, and one as needed'. I always had to have my medication with me in case I had an attack. When we left the Garrison, I had just gotten a refill, but a few weeks ago, I ran out." 

Shiro looked at Hunk with eyes wide. "Hunk, why didn't you say anything?" He asked softly, worried.

Hunk fiddled with the needles. "Well, it didn't seem important, and I thought I had been doing okay-" 

"It's  _very_ important, Hunk! Your mental health is as important as physical health or anything else out here." Shiro said, keeping his gaze locked with the younger Paladin. "I'll talk to Coran to see if he has anything similar to anxiety medication in the morning." 

Hunk looked down. "I just feel so  _weak._ I'm a Paladin of Voltron, anxiety shouldn't get the best of me!" he said, frustrated. 

Shiro laid a hand on his shoulder. "Hunk, I'm struggling too. Sometimes, getting out of bed is the hardest thing to do. We may be Paladins, but we are also human beings."

Hunk nodded after a moment. "Okay." 

Shiro patted his back. "Okay." he responded. "Thank you for telling me. Do you think you'll be okay if I step out?" 

Hunk nodded. "Yeah, I'm probably going to try to sleep after I finish this row." 

Shiro smiled and stood, heading towards the door. 

"Shiro-" 

"Yes, Hunk?" 

"Thanks for everything you do for us. We all really appreciate it. You're like a dad. Space Dad." Hunk finished with a smile. 

Shiro shrugged lightly and grinned. "Dad's gotta look out for his kids, right?" 

Hunk smiled back and nodded. "Right." 

In the morning, Shiro talked to Coran as promised. Coran was able to create something similar to anxiety medication, and Hunk was given it with instructions to tell Coran if he needed more or if it ceased to help. Hunk thanked both him and Coran, heading off to talk to Lance, Keith, and Pidge. 

Coran looked at Shiro. "You really do take care of them." 

Shiro nodded. "I try my best." 


	5. Even Dads Need to Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro needs to rest.

Everyone was exhausted. After taking down the last of the Galra fleet, Allura was able to take them to safety a few galaxies away. The Paladins exited their lions, and after being dismissed by Allura, began to get ready to sleep. Shiro was in the kitchen when he was met with the four younger Paladins. 

"What are all of you doing here? Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed?" Shiro asked, walking towards them. 

"We could ask you the same thing." Keith said, arms crossed. "Why aren't you getting ready for bed?" 

Shiro shrugged. "I'll get ready in a little while."

Pidge shook their head. "Nope. I've heard that one before. I've  _been_ that one before. If you don't get ready now, you never will and then you won't sleep." 

"Pidge is right, Shiro, plus if you go to bed now, you'll get a good amount of sleep." Hunk provided. 

Lance grinned. "Basically, we're saying that we are kidnapping you and forcing you to go to bed." 

As he said this, Keith and Hunk each grabbed an arm, leading Shiro down the hall to his bedroom. 

Shiro didn't struggle. "Alright, I'll play along. What should I do first, kidnappers?" 

Keith shoved a shirt and sweatpants into his arms. "Go get changed. Don't think about not doing it. I'll set Pidge on you."

Shiro mock-gasped. "Keith, I can't believe you would threaten me like this."

The Red Paladin stuck his tongue out and shoved him into the bathroom. "Go."

Shiro snorted slightly but did as he was told. When he came back out, Pidge forced him to lay down on his bed. Lance covered him with his blankets, tucking him in like he had done before. Hunk laid another blanket on top of him, one that was knitted, he realized. He shook his head fondly as the four younger Paladins laid blankets out on the floor.

"What are you all doing now?" He asked.

"We're sleeping over." Pidge said, leaving no room for arguing.

"Yeah, you've stayed with all of us enough times that we owe you a night on the floor." Hunk said, resting down on the floor.

Shiro rolled his eyes fondly. "Alright, but just for tonight."

"Thanks, Space Dad!" they all chorused.

Shiro raised an eyebrow. "Since when did that catch on?"

"Since Keith told us how you act so much like a dad!" Lance said, poking Keith.

Keith flushed a dark red. "Shut up. I don't have a filter after two a.m."

The others laughed at his embarrassment and Shiro shook his head. "It's late, everyone. Goodnight." 

In the morning, Allura and Coran found all the Paladins together on Shiro's floor. Figuring it was better not to ask questions, they let them sleep. It was the first night Shiro had slept all the way through since before leaving Earth.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave kudos or comments if you enjoyed!


End file.
